High frequency of Epstein–Barr virus in Chinese peripheral T‐cell lymphoma

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Abstract
Forty‐two cases of Chinese T‐cell lymphoma were studied for expression of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) encoded RNA (EBER‐1) and EBV latent membrane protein‐1 (LMP‐1) using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. EBV was detected in tumour cells in 24/39 peripheral T‐cell lymphomas (62%), comprising 18/27 pleomorphic, medium and large cell lymphomas (67%), 4/6 angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy‐like lymphomas (67%), 2/2 Lennert's lymphomas, 0/2 anaplastic large cell lymphomas, and 0/2 T‐zone lymphomas. EBV was not found in three T‐lymphoblastic lymphomas. EBV was associated with 12/24 nodal (50%) compared with 12/15 extranodal (80%) peripheral T‐cell lymphomas. In EBV positive nodal lymphomas, 9/12 cases (75%) contained less than 10% EBER positive tumour cells. In EBV positive extranodal lymphomas, 9/11 cases (82%) showed EBV gene expression in more than 50% of the tumour cells, and in five of these almost all tumour cells were positive. Lymphomas of the nasopharynx (mainly midline granuloma‐type) showed EBER‐1 expression in nearly all tumour cells. LMP‐1 was detected in 19/23 EBER positive peripheral T‐cell lymphomas (83%). Our results show that EBV is strongly associated with peripheral T‐cell lymphomas in Chinese. An important role for the virus is suggested in lymphomas of the nasopharynx. The significance of EBV in T‐cell lymphomas that contain only a minor population of virally infected tumour cells is currently unclear.

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